PAUL ACCUSED BEFORE FESTUS
Chapter 25 begins at 2:44:35
Summary Verses 1-5
In verses 1-12 we will see Festus arriving in Jerusalem and
refusing to have Paul brought to Jerusalem for a hearing. However Festus held a hearing for Paul’s
accusers and heard their complaints. We
will also see Paul assert his rights, as a Roman citizen, and appeals to
Caesar.
We will see in the first 5 versus the mistrust the Jews held
for the Roman rulers, and actions taken by Festus to pacify the Jews. Later in verses 14 & 15 we will see, yet
another plot brewing to kill Paul.
Paul before Festus.
1 Festus then, having
arrived in the province, three days later went up to
Jerusalem from Casesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the
leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and
they were urging him,
“Procius Festus was procurator of Judea from about
AD 59 to 62, succeeding Antonius Felix. His
exact time in office is not known. The earliest proposed date for the start of
his term is c. A.D. 55-6, while the latest is A.D. 61.[1] [4].
The King James translation tells us “Festus ascended to
Jerusalem after three days.” The accusing Jews wasted no time in going to the new
governor with their complaints about Paul. Felix reportedly restored peace to the area by using much
force and was said to be a very cruel man. Considering his reputation, it should not be a surprise to
anyone that the Jews did not trust Roman rulers.
Festus (the new governor) knowing Felix’s reputation, thought
it necessary to gain favor with the Jews in order to keep the peach, and secure
their cooperation.
We will see Festus knew very little of the details of the
accusations brought against Paul.
3
requesting a concession against Paul, that he
might have him brought to Jerusalem (at the same
time, setting an ambush to kill him on the way).
The word concession; was translated from the Greek word
charis khar'-ece; meaning favor. Two
years had passed and these same Jews continued with plans to Kill Paul (Acts
23:14-15.) Their plans were simply
to ambush Paul on the way to Jerusalem. It
is doubtful Festus knew about the earlier plan to kill Paul while in Jerusalem. I believe Festus was equally unaware of the
motive behind the Jewish leader asking for Paul to be returned to Jerusalem. This time however they wanted the new
governor to execute Paul without even a trial.
As we will see in verse 16
4 Festus then answered that
Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he
himself was about to leave shortly. 5 “Therefore,” [he said], “let the influential
men among you go there with me, and if there is anything wrong
about the man, let them prosecute him.”
It would appear Festus did not want any part of trying Paul. The new governor told the accusing Jews to
have their leaders try Paul in Caeserea if he broke Jewish law.
6 After he had spent not more than
eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and
on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal and
ordered Paul to be brought.
I don’t believe Felix gave Festus much information about
Paul. Felix may have only said Paul was
a Roman citizen accused by his own people, of crimes. Felix offered no proof of guilt because there
was none. Festus had to summon for Paul
in order to hear from his lips his accounting of the charges brought against
him, in accordance to Roman law.
7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who
had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,
bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not
prove, 8 while Paul said in his own defense,
“I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the
temple or against Caesar.”
The unproven charges levied against Paul were a jumbled up
mix of politics and religion. Festus
needed to here Paul’s side to determine the validity of the charges.
9 But Festus, wishing to do the
Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you
willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?”
Festus was at a loss on how to investigate these accusations
(see also Acts
25:20 ). Festus wanted to ingratiate
himself with the Jews ensuring a peaceful governorship. Festus was offering Paul his protection when
he said “before Me”, not that he would try Paul in Jerusalem himself. The governor knew Paul had broken no Roman
laws. Although Festus was not going back
to Jerusalem with Paul. He would render
a favorable decision after hearing the Sanhedrin’s verdict. We must remember Paul was born a Roman
citizen and had rights!
10 But Paul said, “I am standing before
Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried.
I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.
The word tribunal was translated from the
Greek word: bema bay'-ma; by implication, a rostrum, i.e. a tribunal:--judgment-seat,
set (foot) on, throne. Paul was saying
as a Roman, I am standing before the proper judgment seat. The governor was Caesar's representative in
Judea. During this time another
assignation plot was planed, which neither Festus nor Paul were not aware of.
11 “If, then, I am a
wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of
death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those
things is true of which these men accuse me,
no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.”
Paul saw Festus giving into the Jewish authorities. Paul knew he would not receive a fair trial
in Jerusalem and seeing Festus’s reluctance to try him himself called on
Caesar. Paul’s Roman citizenship gave
him the right to appeal to Caesar for judgment.
Caesar was the final authority in all matters. In much the same way, our
supreme court has final judiciary authority.
12 Then when Festus had conferred with
his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, and to
Caesar you shall go. 13 Now when several days had
elapsed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and paid their
respects to Festus.
Herod Agrippa II (AD 27/28[1] – ca.
92 or 100[1][2])
officially named Marcus Julius Agrippa and sometimes just
called Agrippa, was the seventh and last king of the family
of Herod the Great,
the Herodians. He
was the son of the first and better-known Herod Agrippa, the
brother of Berenice,
Mariamne, and Drusilla (second
wife of the Roman procurator Antonius Felix).[3] [4]
Agrippa was the great grandson of Herod the Great who ruled
during Jesus’ ministry (See also Acts 12:1).
This young king only 17 years old at the time, and thought to be to
young to rule, caused the annexation of Judea to Syria. Agrippa II was made king in 56 AD. His authority extended as far as naming the
high priest of the Jews. Agrippa II was
favored by Caesar. Festus solicited the
young kings counsel because of this and his knowledge of the Jews.
14 While they were spending many days
there, Festus laid Paul’s case before the King, saying, “There is a man who was
left as a prisoner by Felix; and when I was at Jerusalem, the
chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against
him asking for a sentence of condemnation against him. 15 and
when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews
brought charges against him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against
him.
Festus relates the circumstances behind the actions taken
thus far regarding Paul. Even though
Agrippa was young, only 20, Festus knew of his favorite status.
16 “I answered them that it is not the
custom of the Romans to hand over any man before the
accused meets his accusers face to face and
has an opportunity to make his defense against the charges. 17
“So after they had assembled here, I did not delay, but on
the next day took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the
man to be brought before me.
Festus continues his case before the king. Once again we see how Laws of the U.S.A. are
patterned after Roman law. In our legal
system every accused has the undeniable right to be faced by his/her accusers.
18
“When the accusers stood up, they began bringing charges against him
not of such crimes as I was expecting, 19
but they simply had some points of disagreement with him about their
own religion and about a dead man, Jesus, whom Paul asserted to be a live.
Festus continues by stating the case brought to him by
Paul’s accusers. Festus was prepared to
hear civil, not Jewish religious charges, against Paul. The word religion was translated from the
Greek word deisidaimonia dice-ee-dahee-mon-ee'-ah from the same as 1174;
religion:--superstition. see GREEK for 117[4]. Fetus referred to the accusers beliefs
derogatorily as superstition.
20 “Being at a loss how to investigate
such matters, I asked whether he was willing to go to
Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters.
In this verse Fetus was telling Agrippa he did not know how
to get to the truth. This is in contrast
as to what was said in verse 9. Because
Paul appealed to Caesar, Festus was forced to account the details of the
charges in writing. Fetus was appealing
to Agrippa because he needed his help. The
record of the charges would accompany Paul by escort to Rome.
21 “But when Paul appealed to be
held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I
ordered him to be kept in custody until I send him to
Caesar.” 22
Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.”
Agrippa was intrigued by all he had heard and wanted to hear
Paul speak to the charges. As this case
was going before Caesar, Agrippa needed to know about the charges against Paul,
and what had transpired. Fetus was more
than happy to comply with Agrippa II, and arranged for Paul to appear before
him.
Paul before Agrippa
23 So, on
the next day when Agrippa came together with Bernice amid great pomp, and
entered the auditorium accompanied by the commanders and the
prominent men of the city, at the command of
Festus, Paul was brought in.
Who was Bernice? She
was the daughter of King Herod
Agrippa I and a sister of Herod Agrippa II. Acts
21:32 tells us there were five cohorts, each having a commander. These commanders along with an undetermined
number of prominent men would have been a most impressive audience for Paul’s
witness.
24 Festus *said,
“King Agrippa, and all you
gentlemen here present with us, you see this man
about whom all the people of the Jews appealed to me,
both at Jerusalem and here, loudly declaring that he ought not
to live any longer.
Picture all the guests dressed in their finery and Paul
dressed in Jewish garb. At this point
Paul’s clothing must have been in very poor condition. Paul stood before this gathering not timidly
but boldly because he knew Jesus was by his side. Although the Jews were calling for Paul’s
death, there were no grounds for such a punishment under Roman Law.
25 “But
I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and since
he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to
send him.
I believe this was a back door appeal by Festus to Agrippa
for help with Caesar.Festus had no evidence and nothing concrete to write in
his report to Caesar.Perhaps if the king were to question Paul he might find
something justifying the arrest of Paul and his subsequent appearance before
Caesar. See acts 25:26&27 to follow. Festus was between a rock and a hard place. On one hand he had to have the cooperation of
the Jews in order to keep the peace. On
the other hand he inherited a prisoner who had violated no Roman law.
26 “Yet
I have nothing definite about him to write to my
lord. Therefore I have brought him before you all and
especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the investigation has
taken place, I may have something to write. 27 “For
it seems absurd to me in sending a prisoner, not to indicate
also the charges against him.”
CREDITS, LINKS, AND CITATION
[1] –scripture verses from Cross wire Study Bible
[3] – Commentaries By Marion Adams
[4] – Wikipedia.org
[5] – Jewish
encyclopedia
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